Fast Casual Leadership: Legacy Brands, Modern Moves

Fast Casual Leadership: Legacy Brands, Modern Moves

From Fast Casual Nation by Savor.fm

February 24, 2026 · 43 min

About this episode

Paul Damico discusses his strategy for reinventing legacy restaurant brands and the impact of technology on operations.

In this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Paul Damico, President & CEO of Ascent Hospitality Management, to discuss his bold strategy for reinventing two iconic legacy brands — Perkins Restaurant & Bakery and Huddle House. Damico shares how cutting-edge Toast POS technology is transforming operations across 600 units, why extended hours are driving 20–40% sales increases at select locations, and how the new Perkins Griddle and Go fast casual format is designed to win over a younger generation of diners — all while keeping the legendary value that loyal guests have counted on for over 65 years. #FastCasualNation #RestaurantLeadership #FamilyDining Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support . Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/ Capital & Advisory: Are…

People in this episode

Hosts: Paul Barron, Cherryh Cansler

Guest: Paul Damico

Topics covered

  • leadership
  • restaurant management
  • hospitality
  • business strategy

Keywords

  • Perkins Restaurant
  • Huddle House
  • Toast POS
  • fast casual
  • sales increase

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Go, Toast POS, Perkins Griddle and Go

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